spaghetti trees
by justjoy
Summary: It would be an exaggeration to say that Hakuba Saguru has been dreading the first of April since he transferred into Ekoda High. It would not, however, be much of one.


_hope you have/had a fun April Fools', everyone, and... I pranked myself with fic? uh. yeah. idk anymore just have it ok_

* * *

It would be an exaggeration to say that Hakuba Saguru has been dreading the first of April since he transferred into Ekoda High.

It would not, however, be much of one.

Contrary to popular opinion overseas, April Fools' Day _is_ in fact a thriving holiday in Japan, albeit mostly in the online community and younger generations.

(If anyone ever does take it onto themselves to invent a bubble wrap keyboard, Saguru ardently hopes that they ban Kuroba from getting one. He doesn't think his nerves can take it otherwise.)

By the time the lunch bell rings, Saguru's eyebrow has developed a permanent twitch, and he's fairly certain that a good half of class 2-B has noticed.

He can't exactly help it, to be honest.

And with good reason – the magician has been suspiciously well-behaved all morning, actually staying in his seat for once instead of raising a ruckus every ten seconds. Apart from occasionally staring out the window while walking a coin across his knuckles, Kuroba has been the very picture of a model student for almost four and a half hours now.

He'd even _volunteered_ to answer a question for once in history class.

Kuroba _hates_ history. Saguru is certain of that.

(Saguru is, also, starting to wonder if this apparent obedience is in itself the prank. Which would be… counterintuitive on so many levels, but then again Kuroba's general existence runs contrary to common sense.)

At any rate, if the aim is to unnerve Saguru, the magician has most certainly succeeded, he can concede that much.

Saguru checks his pocketwatch with a quick glance. One minute past noon. Back in London, that'd be enough to guarantee safety as far as pranking went – not that he'd commonly been the victim of such, of course, but it was always helpful to know when the deadline had passed.

Right now, though… Saguru shakes his head and gives in with a sigh, walking over to Kuroba's table as their classmates slowly trickle out in twos and threes.

The magician eyes him with well-hidden amusement. "What is it, Hakuba?"

…and Saguru has no idea of how to answer that, actually, since _why aren't you turning the entire classroom and its occupants rainbow tie-dyed_ isn't a phrase that he feels particularly inclined to say out loud.

Fortunately for him, Aoko comes to the rescue, as she often does in matters concerning Kuroba. She rounds on the magician from behind, squinting at him with suspicion. "You're aren't feeling _sick_ , are you, Kaito? Because if you're trying to hide it from Aoko _again_ – "

"You'll sit on me, yeah, I get it." Kuroba leans his chair back and grins winningly at her. "Nah, I'm just taking a day off, is it that hard to believe?"

"Yes," both of them answer flatly.

Kuroba pouts in a show of maturity. "Jeez, fine!"

 _Then_ he looks up with the flicker of a grin in his expression. "You realise, of course, that anything I do after this is all your fault?"

Aoko blanches, and Saguru wholly agrees with the sentiment. They both walked right into that one. "B-but Aoko – "

"Too late!" Kuroba calls out, darting out of the classroom while probably planning to do… Holmes only knew what, but it probably involved unpleasant consequences for everyone else.

Saguru certainly doesn't care to guess. "Say, Aoko-kun…"

"Yes?" answers Aoko absently, the expression on her face suggesting that she's strongly considering the option of chasing Kuroba down with her trusty mop.

Saguru literally cannot think of any way this isn't going to end in some glitter-specked disaster. "Skipping class is starting to sound like a worryingly good idea."

"Don't be silly, Hakuba-kun!" Aoko turns towards him with a grin that looks _disturbingly_ like Kuroba's. "Who would be around to stop Kaito, then?"

"I don't think we're exactly _stopping_ him here," Saguru starts to say, but Aoko is already halfway to the door and beckoning for him to follow.

Saguru sighs again before following at a more sedate pace. His eyebrow isn't twitching anymore, but he isn't quite sure this is an improvement.

...he should _really_ have just skipped school today.

* * *

 **END**

* * *

 _in the name of hasty research ( eats links, obviously, but see_ _presumenothing DOT tumblr DOT com/post/159075365645 for them):_

 _bubble wrap keyboard is Google Japan's prank for this year, though actual fake news (ha ha) still isn't a thing in general_

 _spaghetti-tree hoax is BBC's epic 1957 prank, and per wikipedia joking ceases at midday in the UK, with anyone playing a joke afterwards being the fool themselves_


End file.
